Nagato Sure Is Popular, Isn't She!
by NamesAreHardToComeUpWith
Summary: In a naval base populated mostly by destroyers and light cruisers, there is a single battleship: Nagato. Trying her hardest to proudly represent battleships and the big seven, she feels like she doesn't fit in. But the truth is rather the opposite!


My name is battleship Nagato, name ship to the Nagato-class dreadnoughts, and I currently have a problem.

I am the only battleship in this naval base.

I haven't ever really been one much for modesty, or restraint, but as the only battleship in a base populated by destroyers and light cruisers, I need to represent my class sufficiently. That is, give a good impression of battleships, and keep it in good light.

That being said, I have no idea how a respectable battleship would act in this situation.

Before me was a young girl with short brown hair and buck teeth, her rear flat on the ground, looking up in shock, her mouth slightly open. Her name was Yukikaze, and she was a destroyer. The reason she was flat on her rear was, well, an unlucky combination of running in the hallways, a corner, and myself.

Should I admonish her for running in the hallway? She didn't look hurt, so should I smile and tell her "it's okay"? Ah, but as a battleship representing the ideal of future battleships, I need to maintain a kind of dignity. Do I ignore her and keep walking?

My mental gears grinded with indecision as I kept a straight face as Yukikaze just stared at me, until another voice interrupted the silence.

"Ah! Yukikaze, watch what you're doing!" Akatsuki, a child looking about the same age as Yukikaze, but with long black hair and a navy cap, passed the corner into my line of sight. While Yukikaze was much newer, Akatsuki joined the base shortly after I did, so she was more used to my presence.

Though, she did freeze up the first few times she saw me in battle. Most of the destroyers did.

"Geez!" Akatsuki exclaimed, practically pulling the beaver-like destroyer to her feet. "I told you not to run in the hallways like that! It's not befitting of a proper lady."

"Akatsuki," I said as flatly as I could, aiming for a neutral tone. "Guiding Yukikaze around until she gets used to the base?"

"Ah, yesh! Ow!" She said, biting her tongue in the process. A proper lady, indeed.

"Ah, are you okay?" Yukikaze said to the poor destroyer who was holding her hands to her mouth. Her voice was… surprisingly shrill.

Oh well, she seemed to have recovered.

"In that case, I'll leave you to it," I told Akatsuki, before turning to Yukikaze. "And you, Yukikaze, listen to what your seniors have to say."

Yukikaze froze again for a moment, before giving me a salute, of all things.

I stared a little longer than I should have at the gesture, and walked past them.

A salute? Did I seem like that much of an imposing figure? Was my voice too loud, or authoritarian? Did I seem bossy when I spoke?

I wriggled on the inside, but kept a straight face outwardly. I am representing all of Japan's battleships in this base, I could not be seen squirming, or making any mistakes.

I held the pride of the big seven in one hand and that of battleships in the other.

But every day, they seemed heavier.

Just as I thought that, three of the Kagerou class saw me coming and gave me an especially wide berth. Kagerou and Shiranui both saluted, as well, while Kuroshio, another new member of the base, stared at her sister's side.

I had to think, though, was I disliked?

* * *

"Geez! I can't believe you bumped into Nagato like that!" Akatsuki pouted, guiding Yukikaze around.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Yukikaze chirped, full of energy.

"Aw, what if she thinks less of me for not being in control of my charge? She's Nagato of the big seven, you know! Always so, such… such a perfect lady!"

"Eh, eh, a true lady?" Yukikaze said, keeping pace while skipping.

"Of course! She's always super calm and refined and in control and super pretty and tall and uh…" Akatsuki stopped walking for a moment, struggling with her words. "…Elephant!"

"Eh, eh, elephant, what does that mean?" Yukikaze asked, leaning right into Akatsuki's face.

"It means she's always refined and beautiful in appearance and mannerisms!" Akatsuki said proudly, as if she were speaking of herself, until she noticed how close Yukikaze was. "U-unlike yourself! What kind of lady gets this close to someone! Geez, let's keep moving!"

Akatsuki practically pushed the destroyer away and started walking, but with a skip and a hop she was right beside here again.

"Yes, yes! I don't really understand everything you mean, but," Yukikaze continued. "But, Nagato sure is cool, isn't she!"

* * *

"Was that…?" Kuroshio didn't end her sentence.

"Yep! Nagato of the big seven, Japan's pride!" Kagerou announced, once Nagato herself had gotten out of earshot.

"And worthy of the title," Shiranui added.

"I thought this base was only recently founded, how did the admiral get Nagato so fast?" Kuroshio asked, putting both hands on her head.

The expression of disbelief.

"Ah, that's, well…" Kagerou started, almost reluctant to continue. "The admiral has a somewhat… unique way of thinking? As soon as he had the resources, he put in a battleship recipe and got Nagato on his first shot! Naturally he was thrilled, until he saw how much resources she used."

"A miscalculation," Shiranui added. "So he hasn't sent her out very often since."

"He also hasn't tried to get another battleship since. "What's the point, when I already have the best!" he had said loudly," Kagerou continued, sounding rather tired. "We don't even have any heavy cruisers yet, so she's stuck in a weight class of her own."

"Ha… what kind of base did I get stuck into…" Kuroshio said, before smiling mischievously. "Say, do you think that as the lone battleship, big seven Nagato gets lonely?"

"What? No, that's not possible. She's way too strong and dedicated to even think about being alone. I mean, she's always super considerate about everyone around her on the battlefield, at least, depending on the way she fights," Kagerou said, waving her hand around with disbelief. "That's not the attitude of someone who thinks they're alone."

"I don't know, sis, it's always the strong ones who are weakest inside," Kuroshio said, putting a hand over her smile. "Big seven Nagato, crying in her sleep because she's alone in a base of destroyers and light cruisers."

"Try asking her, then," Shiranui said, looking the same as always, and yet not.

"Ah?" Kuroshio suddenly froze. "Ah, no, I was joking, of course. Kagerou is always so easy to tease…"

"Did Shiranui make a mistake?" She said, as Kuroshio took a step away. Kagerou only shook her head.

"I'm sorry, okay!"

* * *

"These deployment orders…"

I could hardly believe it. Due to my memories as a ship, I remember many different missions with many different goals, but this…

"I'm sorry to shove this onto you, Nagato." The admiral sounded apologetic and respectful, but it was ruined by the fact he was lifting barbells behind the desk. "But truth be told, we're the only adults on the base. It's our responsibility to see the younger girls through this."

"Still, this is…" I put the papers, a stack of blueprints, loose-leaf paper with measurements written on them and a shopping list, back down on the desk.

"Well, it is what it is. Not necessarily a militaristic order, but, when it needs doing it needs doing."

A typhoon was inbound, and he wanted me to help board up the windows and reinforce the doors.

Truly a mission like never before, but I couldn't help feeling any motivation to work dwindle.

"Ah, don't worry about the shopping list," The brawny admiral said, putting down the barbells and standing up. "I already sent the secretary ship and a couple other light cruisers to get the materials, and I told them we'd take care of the rest."

"I see…"

The first time I was called to work in weeks, and he left the half the job, the shopping, up to some other girls.

Did I seem that undependable?

* * *

"A… typhoon warning?" Yuubari said, looking up from a rigging she was tinkering with, to look at the admiral doing squat repetitions.

"Exactly. The base is in relatively good condition, but just to be safe, I'm going to ask that the windows are boarded up."

"Oh, okay," Yuubari nodded, guessing she'd be in charge. "I can have it done pretty quickly, if you get me some of the CLs to help."

"Actually I'd like to send you guys one last practice run with our neighboring base, before the storm," he said, sweat dripping down his face.

"Oh?" Yuubari couldn't help but look up in interest. While she'd originally been affected by his constant working out, her time as secretary ship had dulled the effects of seeing the admiral in full workout mode.

"Yeah, I'd like to get the first fleet as much experience as I can before the storm rolls in. I'll get Nagato to help me with preparing the base."

"N-Nagato?" Yuubari nearly dropped the rigging she was tinkering with. "You'd use the big seven to run errands and do house repair?"

"She's an adult, and a soldier nonetheless. She'll follow what I say when I order her to. Besides, most of you light cruisers will be on practice, so she'll be all I can depend on."

"Still, she's Nagato! She's the pride of japan, one of the big seven… You can't just send her out on errands!" Yuubari was practically shouting at the admiral at this point, while the admiral himself kept a stern face from his workout. "It's disrespectful!"

"What do you propose, then? Get the destroyers to help me while Nagato sits in her room and keeps doing nothing?" The admiral didn't even look at her as he went up and down. "The practices are all crucial exercises, and our neighbor is already expecting us. We can't undo an appointment because you feel like Nagato's feelings will be hurt."

Yuubari grumbled and grabbed at her hair, until she opened her eyes with the light of inspiration.

"Geez! I'm heading out!" Yuubari set aside her rigging and aimed for the door. The admiral made to say something, but was cut off before he could find the words. "We'll be back before it's time to head out, and we can at least do the shopping for her first!"

Yuubari didn't give him time to answer and left the admiral to his exercise.

* * *

I had expected the noise of hammering to bring out more prying eyes, but it seemed like most of the destroyers on base were preparing their rooms for the storm, while the light cruisers were squeezing one last practice match in before it was too late.

It took until the last window being boarded up for someone to finally show up, and it was Akatsuki.

"A-a good day to you, Nagato!" She said with a kiddy salute, quite cutely.

"Hm. Are your preparations ready?" I answered, making sure the child would be alright. Most of the other destroyers had siblings on base, but Akatsuki was the only one of her class. While other destroyers could help each other prepare their rooms and selves for the storm, Akatsuki had to do it alone.

"O-of course! A task like that was nothing to a lady like myself," she said in a manner that was confident. Yet at the same time, it felt like she was stumbling in trying to say something. Maybe, she wanted to ask permission for something?

Ah, Akatsuki, I'm sorry for always sounding so bossy. We're the same rank, you and I, despite our ship classification.

"It seems we still have a few hours before the storm. If you want to get something done before, you should go ahead and do it." I tried to sound encouraging or approving this time, something positive.

"A-ah, yes! As expected of Nagato, you saw right through me! T-then, I'll take my leave! Excuse me!" She ran off, the small sound of her steps trailing away with her.

Did she really have to run, though?

* * *

As she ran, Akatsuki pulled her hat far downwards.

It was embarrassment, of course.

As the only one of her class present on base, Akatsuki felt like she should be a proper lady and a good show of the Akatsuki class destroyer, so that if her sisters ever came to the base, she could proudly present herself and have a positive social backup for it as well.

Rather, she was forcing herself to be the best she could be, rather dishonestly at that.

So when other destroyers had come to her, asking if she wanted to sleep with them for the night, she'd replied that she would be all right on her own. She was a proper lady, after all!

It had garnered her praise from her fellow destroyers, yet it was a sentence she had passed without thinking, for she was greatly scared of the coming storm.

With all the light cruisers gone, and the admiral being scary, she thought to ask the person most deserving of the title "lady" on base, Nagato. Yet, she'd gotten intimidated at the last second, despite the Nagato telling her to do what she had to, and ran off.

If that was the case, she thought to herself as she pushed her hat back up and wiped her eyes, then she'd just have to weather the storm alone!

For, she was an elephant lady!

* * *

"Thank you for your hard work."

I looked over the light cruisers, looking like a ragged bunch, and nodded. While they were a little late from practice, they'd gotten back to base before the storm had started its main course.

"Flagship of the first fleet reporting in. We're back, Battleship Nagato." Yuubari the experimental light cruiser, secretary to the admiral and flagship of the first, saluted me. Behind her, Kiso, Kuma, Tama, Jintsuu and Isuzu, all looking tired and worse for wear did, the same.

"Such a thing is unnecessary right now," I said, feeling that their respect was undeserved. "Come inside, I need to board up the doorway."

"Ah, yes!" Yuubari snapped out of salute, and led the other tired-looking light cruisers inside.

Ah, I almost forgot.

"Kiso, Kuma, Tama, Jintsuu, Isuzu," I said, and they all turned around a bit too sharply, as if expecting a rebuke. "Your sisters have already done preparation on your room. There's food set aside for you in the cafeteria. Yuubari, the admiral took care of your room personally."

"Ah, thank you!" They all said in unison, before heading off.

Though, this time, I don't feel it was underserved. Though I didn't tell them, I made the food for them.

Oh well, it was time to board up the last door, there was no need to let them know.

"Um, Nagato?" Yuubari popped her head back into the reception hall.

"What is it, Flagship Yuubari?" I went to pick up the plywood and nails I'd set aside as I said so.

"Sorry about today. I didn't want to make a great ship like yourself do something so mundane, but there was the practice appointment, so the admiral forced it all on you," she said as she clapped her hands together in apology.

Ah… so that's what happened.

"Don't say such nonsense," I said, a little too quickly, and her face adopted a surprised-looking, pained face. "Such a duty helps protect my comrades in arms just as much as a sortie. Besides…" I tried smiling, just a bit. Even a battleship, even one of the big seven, knew how to smile when she was grateful, didn't she? It was proper, wasn't it? "You went shopping just to lessen the load on me, didn't you? Thank you, Yuubari."

She looked stunned, blushed a bit, and then tried to speak.

"Ah, well, you know, I couldn't just, like, make you do it all, I mean, uh…" She scratched her head, looking at the ground. "Well, thank you for your hard work!"

She ran off.

"Ah…"

Did I screw up somehow?

* * *

By the time I'd boarded up the door, brought the excess materials to a storeroom, brought the nails and hammer to a workshop and gone to the bathroom, the storm's wind had started howling against the building, its thunder had started growling angrily and repeatedly and its lightning shone through the small cracks between the plywood and window frames.

I would like to say it had me completely unaffected, but there's a certain feeling of buildup, of tension when such an event occurred, that affected even myself.

I walked back to my room in the dorms, slightly slower than I usually would have, until I noticed something, a tiny little something.

A wandering child, her back to me.

"Akatsuki?" I called out.

Due to poor timing, my call happened at the same time as a bolt of lightning, and the child jumped with a scream and started running without even looking back. Without even five seconds, she tripped up and hit the floor.

"Akatsuki!" I rushed up to her and got on a knee, to see the crying child hugging a pillow tightly. "Are you alright?"

I pulled her off the ground and face her to me, to see if she'd hurt herself, and she immediately leaned into me.

"I'm sorry!" She bawled, tear rolling down her face. "I'm sorry!"

Before I could even think about what to tell her, I put my arms around her. Poor kid. I must have really scared her.

"No, I'm sorry. Let's get you back to your room, Akatsuki." I stood up, holding her in my arms, but she immediately started struggling.

"No! No! No! I don't want to go back there!" She said, flailing one arm while the other hugged her pillow.

"Akatsuki?" I held onto her with little problem, the strength of a battleship being immutable against that of a destroyer.

"There's no one there! I don't want to be alone! I'm scared!"

"Ah." I see now. It's true, Akatsuki didn't have siblings on base, and she was a proud child. She wouldn't ask people for help, not at first.

So, when she walked up to me to talk as I worked, she wasn't looking for any form of permission at all. She just… couldn't bring herself to say what she wanted to say.

"All right, Akatsuki, don't worry. You're not going to sleep alone tonight," I said, after pulling her just far enough from me to look her in her tear-filled eyes.

"R-really?"

"Of course. I am Battleship Nagato of the big seven, and I never break my word. The thunder and lightning will be so scared, they won't even reach my room at all!" I said, sounding confident and spewing bravado for the child.

She didn't smile, or lighten up, at least not immediately. What she did do, though, was lean on me and wrap her free arm around my neck.

At least, the sound of her sobbing was starting to die down.

* * *

I turned the lights on and set the child down and she looked around with surprise.

"This… this is your room, Nagato?" She said in between sniffling her nose.

"Yes it is," I answered, looking around at the bunker-like room. The walls, ceiling and floor were concrete, but covered in padding, from the soft carpet on the floor to the walls that reminisced of an asylum's padded rooms. All the furniture had protective padding over its corners, the kind to keep children from hurting themselves, except the entirety of the corner instead of just its base.

"…It doesn't fit you," she said in a low voice, in a poor attitude because of what had just happened. She wasn't mad at me though, just tired, so I didn't respond to the tone.

"I don't think so either. If I had my perfect room, I'd want something like the admiral's office. Workout equipment and such." Akatsuki looked at me in grumpy disbelief. "But, I have a sister I'm waiting for too. And she's always so prone to accidents, and I had a lot of time to remodel while I've been benched at base… I probably overdid it."

"You totally did," she grumbled. Had I accidentally picked up Akebono?

"Yeah…" I thought about it, and smiled despite my longing. "Do you think she'll be mad once she sees this?"

"Nope," Akatsuki raised her head from her pillow for a bit. "Because you did this for her, because you were lonely, and worried, but you didn't let anyone know because you had to be an elephant lady."

Elephant?

"Is that why you're also being an elephant lady all the time?" I said, sitting down next to her in the carpet.

"…Crying isn't elephant at all." She rubbed her nose with her sleeve. Damn, seems I hurt her feelings.

"Well…" I stammered. What do I say to her now? What could I say to make up for it? "This room isn't really elephant either, now is it?"

She chuckled in her pillow.

"It's really not!" She said, a little more energetically.

"It really isn't, huh… well, she might not be mad, but she'll definitely want me to change it!" I smiled for Akatsuki.

She smiled back, despite a tear falling down her face,

"Ah, Akatsuki, you're a lot cuter when you smile," I said, as I wiped the tear away. "I'm glad even a useless battleship like me, who sits at home all day, can make that smile appear."

She looked shocked.

"You're not useless at all!" She barked, dropping her pillow and making two little fists. "You're super cool, and whenever you sortie we always win, and you're always super serious and calm and refined and, and everybody looks up to you as the pride of our base, and… I want to be an elephant lady just like you by the time my sisters get here!"

…Ha.

I felt a tear climb out of my eye, and I made to wipe it before Akatsuki saw it.

So, I wasn't useless. People weren't scared of me. I didn't sound bossy, or make a bad impression, or push anyone away. I…was dependable, and strong, and worth looking up to. I was a good representation of battleships, a good example of the members of the big seven.

I reached down to the child and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, Akatsuki," I said, from the bottom of my heart.

She didn't seem to understand, but hugged me right back.

"Let's go to bed, Nagato."

* * *

"Akatsuki's gone missing, kuma!"

Everybody woke up early the next morning, to the sound of cacophony. The light cruisers were told to check on all the destroyers, make sure they were sleeping in properly and that everyone was accounted for, but couldn't find one very important member.

And so the destroyers were woken up, asked about Akatsuki's whereabouts, and then conscripted into the search.

They'd gone over the dorms, the docks, the baths, the shop, Mamiya's, the various storage areas, meeting rooms, cafeterias and even nearby town that the girls were allowed to go to on days off.

Of course, there was one place they had not checked.

Because, there was no way anyone would bother Nagato's sleep, as she'd worked hard the day before, and cut such an intimidating figure.

It was midday, when everyone had come back from searching the nearby towns, and the group was tired and desperate to find their friend.

"There's no sense in running ourselves aground doing like this. We all need to be at one hundred percent if we'll be doing this, so let's go get food at the cafeteria," the admiral had wisely said. So he, the light cruisers and a big group of destroyers made a tired mob heading for the cafeteria.

The admiral opened the door first, to see Nagato and Akatsuki, sitting opposite each other on the same table.

"Green peppers are good for you, Akatsuki. And I'm certain a respectable lady doesn't leave food behind," Nagato said, in between putting spoons of curry in her mouth.

"B-being a lady and eating green peppers are different things entirely! How does eating green peppers make me a more respectable lady, anyway!" Akatsuki said, standing up on her chair to face Nagato's calm eating demeanor.

"Leaving food is disrespectful for the cook, Akatsuki. Respect Mamiya properly, and finish your plate."

The mob stood in shock at the vision before them, until finally Yuubari spoke up.

"Nagato… do you know where Akatsuki's been this whole time?"

Nagato, as if only now realizing she was being watched, turned to face Yuubari.

"There was a draft in her room, so she was feeling cold. She slept in my room last night." The entire mob started grumbling, and poured into the room one by one. Mamiya, who had been watching the duo for a while in silence, immediately started working on making enough meals for everyone.

No one sat at Nagato's table, as was the usual, but the admiral did walk up to the battleship for a word.

"I'm glad you made a friend, Nagato."

Nagato smiled, and answered.

"As am I, admiral."

Akatsuki, distracted by the final pepper on her fork, pressed her nostrils shut and took a bite, a painful look on her face. She chewed, swallowed and smiled.

"See? I can do it all, if I try!" She said, puffing out her chest.

"Hm. You'll impress your sisters, for sure," Nagato said, patting the girl on her head.

"A-ah! Don't treat me as a child! I'm a proper lady!"


End file.
